1 Corinthians 15:1-22    NT p. 166 or 1418

[1] Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand,

[2] through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you--unless you have come to believe in vain.

[3] For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures,

[4] and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures,

[5] and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

[6] Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

[7] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

[8] Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

[9] For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

[10] But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them--though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

[11] Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

[12] Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead?

[13] If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised;

[14] and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.

[15] We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ--whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.

[16] For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised.

[17] If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

[18] Then those also who have died in Christ have perished.

[19] If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

[20] But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.

[21] For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being;

[22] for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.

[NRSV]

INTRODUCTION:

Don't you think that this is about the oddest passage I could have picked to begin our preparations for Christmas? Christmas is about a baby, wise men and a star. This passage is more suited to Easter. Christmas isn't about the resurrection, or is it?

I got to thinking about our Bible Study. I thought about setting it aside for a month, so we could really celebrate Advent and Christmas with the traditional passages. But then I thought, No, this is what happens when you undertake a Spiritual Discipline like this Bible Study. Sometimes it gets hard. Sometimes it's not what you want. But the discipline is doing what you've committed to do.

Not only that, but I thought it would be a good way to look at Christmas from a different perspective or through another set of lenses, so to speak. And that can helpful at times.

During Advent and Christmas, we get so caught up in all the trappings and emotions of the season that sometimes we forget the reason for the season. We get so lost in the parties, memories, decorations, family and gifts that we forget about the purpose of the greatest gift.

We get so lost in the baby that we forget the man He grew to be.

We get so lost in the promise of his birth that we forget how that promise was fulfilled.

We get so lost in the manger that we forget the cross.

And yet, it is the Man who defines the significance of the baby.

It is the fulfillment that defines the significance of the promise.

And it is the cross that defines the significance of the manger.

And it's the fulfillment and significance of all of these that Paul talks about here in 1st Corinthians.

As we look at life and Christmas through the lens of Paul's writing, we can see that there are two basic perspectives. Either we're BORN TO DIE or we're BORN TO LIVE. The choice is up to us. Paul says we are BORN TO LIVE.

I. BORN TO DIE:

The world constantly tries to tell us that the whole purpose of life is for us to die. And in a very fatalistic and strictly biological sense that's right. From the minute we are born, from the minute we take our first breath there is an inevitable outcome, death. The world says we are BORN TO DIE.

From birth until maturity, we grow and change and even bear fruit. But when we reach a certain stage in our development we start the reversal. We don't get younger, we just start slowly falling apart.

Emilie Griffin, in Homeward Voyage: Reflections On Life-Changes wrote: "We do not set out to become old. Far from it, we hardly intend to become middle-aged. Instead, we plan to live in some eternal now which will lead on to something better, something more complete than what we have done before.

Sometime in our spiritual travels, as a complete surprise, we notice it has become winter. The waves crashing over the deck are ice-cold and gray. For the first time, we know we are not going to become old; we are, perhaps without admitting it, already old. Youth and middle age are behind us. This change has occurred, it seems, without preparation, without fair warning." (1)

Her insight is very poignant. Now, I know you've probably heard them all before but YOU KNOW YOU'RE GETTING OLDER WHEN:

Almost everything hurts and what doesn't hurt doesn't work anymore.

It feels like the morning after the night before, and you haven't been anywhere.

All the names in your little black book end with the same initials: M.D.

You look forward to a dull evening.

You turn out the lights for economic, not romantic reasons.

Your knees buckle and your belt won't.

You try to straighten the wrinkles in your socks and you find you aren't wearing any.

And the little old gray-haired lady trying to help you across the street is your wife.

We laugh but for some people that's all they think life is about. They think life is a one way ticket to death. Someone said: "Remember, life is just a phase you're going through. You'll get over it."

I know this isn't the most uplifting topic. But it's death and the fear of death, that drives the actions of much of society. They believe that we are BORN TO DIE. That's it. That's the purpose and cycle of life. We are BORN TO DIE so you've got to make the most of this world. And you've got to get the most out of this world. And that philosophy of the bumper sticker: "Whoever dies with the most toys, wins."

II. BORN TO LIVE:

A. But this season of Advent and Christmas and the message from Paul remind us, that through the birth of Jesus, through His life and ministry, We are BORN TO LIVE.

Jesus didn't come to bring death. He came to put an end to death. And the cause of death, sin. Jesus' mission was to set the captives free. Free from captivity to sin. And free from death, free to live and experience life eternal. Because of the birth, life and death of Jesus, we see life from a new perspective.

And it's through that perspective that we look back at the manger. It's that perspective that makes the innocence of Jesus more poignant. It's through that perspective that we see His mother's anguish. It's that perspective that enables us to see and feel both the anguish and the love Jesus has for all people.

It is that perspective that reminds us of the Advent promise. Advent is a wake up call to the world.

Christine Oscar, pastor of St. Mary's Church in Greensboro, North Carolina, tells about her four-year-old niece, Alisha:

One day while babysitting, Ms. Oscar fixed them their favorite lunch of burritos and apple juice. As she left the room, she heard four-year-old Alisha begin to celebrate communion with her lunch items. She seemed to have memorized the words of institution quite well, except when it came to the cup. Alisha said, "And Jesus took the cup, and he blessed it, and he gave God thanks for it, and he said, 'Fill it with Folgers and wake 'em up!'" (2)

Wouldn't it be great if that's all it took. But then, if that were the case we'd all be at Starbucks instead of here.

But the point is Advent reminds us that we are BORN TO LIVE. And it prepares us to live.

B. Maybe you've heard about the Virus warning. This one is called the Advent Virus. The subject line of the email I received said: WARNING ... WARNING ... ADVENT VIRUS IS GOING OUT:

Then the body of the email went on to say: Be on the alert for symptoms of inner HOPE, PEACE, JOY AND LOVE. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this virus, and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of THE ADVENT VIRUS are:

• A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.

• An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

• A loss of interest in judging other people.

• A loss of interest in conflict.

• A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)

• Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

• Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.

• Frequent attacks of smiling.

• An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.

• An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it ourselves.

• An overwhelming sense of hope.

Please send this warning out to all your friends. This virus can and has affected many systems. Some systems have been completely cleaned out because of it.

Be careful though, you never know how or when the Advent Virus could strike. Let me give you and example.

At a Christmas program in a particular church, members were asked to share their fondest Christmas memory. A 90 year old woman recalled that during World War II, she and her husband were very excited when they received news that their son, who was in the Army, was coming home for Christmas. She started to bake all of his favorite dishes, and she and her husband joyfully decorated their home for Christmas. But the day before Christmas Eve, they got word that all furloughs were canceled.

Though terribly disappointed, the couple went to church Christmas morning, thanked God that their son was healthy, and prayed that he would have a happy Christmas. On their way home from church, the mother saw a soldier walking down the road.

She told her husband, "Let's find out where this soldier is headed and take him to his home, even if it's a long distance for us." He agreed. And when they stopped to pick up the soldier, they saw the smiling face of their son. (3)

That whole family was totally infected with the Advent Virus. It took over their whole system. And ever since that moment, they have been infected and they have become carriers of the Hope that the Advent Virus brings. They're like walking billboards or sandwich signs that shout "Jesus is Lord" instead of "Eat at Joe's"

They have become carriers because when Christ died on the cross and three days later was raised from the dead, it was the death of death. Death died that day. Death died and so did the fear of death. And with death out of the picture, then there's nothing left but hope and hope does more than light trees and wrap presents. Hope changes hearts and changes lives.

A university professor was invited to a military base one December. A soldier named Ralph had been sent to meet him at the airport. After they introduced themselves, they headed toward the baggage claim. As they walked down the concourse, Ralph kept disappearing. Once it was to help an older woman whose suitcase had fallen open. Once it was to lift two toddlers up to where they could see Santa Claus. And another time it was to give directions to someone who was lost. Each time Ralph would come back with a big smile on his face.

"Where did you learn to do that?" the professor asked.

"Do what?" Ralph said.

"To be so helpful and considerate of others," said the professor.

"Oh," Ralph said, "during the war, I guess."

Then he told the professor about his tour of duty in Vietnam. It was his job to clear minefields. He told of watching his friends being blown up before his eyes, one after another. "I learned to live between steps," he said. "I never knew whether the next one would be my last, so I learned to get everything I could out of the moment between when I picked up my foot and when I put it down again. Every step I took was a whole new world, and I guess I've just been that way ever since." (4)

That's the kind of attitude a life without fear develops. That's the kind of life Advent engenders. That's the kind of change that being BORN TO LIVE makes in our lives. Every step we take is a new world. Because we are constantly be made new through Christ. And with every step in Christ, there is Hope.

CONCLUSION:

In C. S. Lewis' classic The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, he takes us and a group of four brothers and sisters to the land of Narnia. A land where the animals talk. A land where dwarves and elves and giants are real. They find that Narnia, beautiful as it is, is living under the authority of the White Witch, self proclaimed Queen of Narnia. And there in Narnia, under the witch, it is "always winter, but never Christmas."

Of course the story is how these four young people overcome the witch and bring Christmas to Narnia. But can you imagine how awful it would be to live in a place where it is "always winter, but never Christmas?"

When we live apart from Christ, When we forget the purpose of His coming and wrap ourselves in just the extraneous things of Christmas then that's how we live. It's "always winter, but never Christmas." And when it's "always winter, but never Christmas" we lose hope, we lose direction.

But when we remember, when we trust in Christ Jesus and look back at the first Christmas through the eyes of the newborn, remade self, we find hope and life and faith.

In a world filled with hopelessness, Christ, the newborn and the reborn, brings hope.

In a world filled with death, Christ, who conquered death, brings life.

In a world filled with strangers, Christ comes as a friend and brother to all.

In a world filled with fear, Christ brings faith.

It's true, in the very midst of life, we are in the midst of dying. But there is one whose birth went unannounced, whose early life was spent as a fugitive, who can make a difference. That of course is Jesus.

Advent doesn't wake us up to Folger's, it wakes us up to God's Presence and God's Promise. Christ was born in Bethlehem. As the Hymn saays, He was "Born That We No More May Die." We're not BORN TO DIE. In Christ Jesus we are reborn and we are BORN TO LIVE.

1. Emilie Griffin, in Homeward Voyage: Reflections On Life-Changes (Ann Arbor, Mich.: Servant Publications, 1994), 11-12.

2. Parables, 10 (July 1990) 8.

3. Joyful Noiseletter

4. William Richard Ezell, "Would you Mind an Upgrade?" Preaching, January/February 2001, pp. 37-38.